Georgia DMV Permit Test Concept Review

Overview

Half of the Georgia knowledge exam is the Road Signs test, and it is given in English only. This chapter covers the basics: what each sign shape and color means, and how to read the signs that state rules you must obey.

Shape comes first. The eight-sided sign is used only for STOP, and the triangle pointing down is used only for YIELD. Upright rectangles are usually rule signs, such as SPEED LIMIT, while wide rectangles are usually guide signs that show directions and places. Diamonds warn, the five-sided sign marks a school zone or crossing, and the round sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.

Color tells you the job of the sign. Red is used for STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, and WRONG WAY. Green signs guide you, blue signs show services such as gas and lodging, brown signs lead to parks and recreation, and orange signs mark construction and maintenance work. A red circle with a slash over a picture means the action shown is not allowed.

Some rule signs come with Georgia turning rules. You may turn right on a steady red light after a complete stop unless a sign forbids it, and you may turn left on red only from a one-way street onto another one-way street going left. Where NO TURN ON RED is posted, wait for green. On multi-lane roads, slower traffic must keep right and leave the passing lane.

Overview

Warning signs tell you about a hazard or a change in the road before you reach it, so you have time to slow down. This chapter covers yellow diamond warning signs, school signs, railroad crossing signs, the no passing pennant, and orange work zone signs.

Most warning signs are yellow diamonds with black words or symbols, and some are fluorescent yellow-green. A T shape means the road you are on ends and you must turn left or right. A merge sign shows traffic joining your road. A smoothly bending arrow means a curve, and a yellow plaque with a speed under the sign gives the advised safe speed for it.

Some warning signs use other shapes. The five-sided sign marks a school zone or school crossing. The round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead, and the white X-shaped crossbuck stands at the tracks themselves, sometimes with a plate showing how many tracks there are. The yellow pennant on the left side of the road marks the start of a no passing zone.

Orange signs mark work zones. In a work zone a flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, and you must yield to work vehicles with flashing amber lights. Speeding past a regulatory speed limit in a Georgia work zone can bring a fine of $100 to $2,000.

Overview

This chapter covers traffic signals, lane control and pedestrian signals, and the lines painted on the road. Signals and markings appear on the Road Signs test along with signs, so learn what each light and line asks you to do.

A steady red light means stop and wait for green. A steady yellow light means the light is about to turn red, so slow down and prepare to stop. A green light lets you go only after you yield to pedestrians and vehicles still in the intersection. A flashing red light is treated like a STOP sign, a flashing yellow light means slow down and go with caution, and a flashing yellow arrow lets you turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic. If a signal is completely dark, treat the intersection as a stop in every direction.

Some signals control lanes or people walking. Over reversible lanes, a green arrow means you may use the lane, a steady yellow X means move out of it, a flashing yellow X means it is for left turns, and a red X means do not drive in it. A pedestrian hybrid beacon stays dark until someone presses the button, and its alternating flashing red lights mean stop, then go when the crosswalk is clear.

Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions, and white lines separate lanes going the same way. A broken yellow center line allows passing when safe, a solid yellow line on your side means you may not pass, and double solid white lines mean no lane changes. The center two-way turn lane is only for left turns, and you may enter it no more than 300 feet before your turn.

Overview

Right of way is about who should go first, and it is always something to give, not take. This chapter covers intersections, driveways, pedestrians, school buses, emergency vehicles, and Georgia's Move Over law.

At an intersection with no signs or signals, when two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. At a four-way stop, vehicles go in the order they arrived, and if two arrive together, yield to the one on your right. When you turn left, yield to oncoming traffic. When you enter a road from a driveway or private road, stop and yield to everyone already on the road or sidewalk. In a roundabout, yield to traffic already circling.

Pedestrians in a crosswalk must be given the right of way. Stop and stay stopped when a pedestrian is on your half of the road or within one lane of it, and never pass a car that has stopped at a crosswalk. Always yield to a person with a white cane or guide dog.

When a school bus shows flashing yellow lights, get ready to stop. When its red lights flash and the stop arm is out, stop, unless you are on the other side of a highway divided by a median. For an emergency vehicle with lights and siren, pull to the right and stop. For a stopped emergency, sanitation, or utility vehicle with flashing lights, move over a lane or slow down below the speed limit.

Overview

This chapter covers Georgia's general speed limits, the Super Speeder law, how to pass safely, and the places where you may not park. Many questions here are about numbers, so learn them as a set.

When no other limit is posted, Georgia's general limits are 30 mph in urban or residential districts, 35 mph on unpaved county roads, 70 mph on rural interstates, 65 mph on urban interstates and multi-lane divided highways, and 55 mph in all other areas. A driver convicted of 75 mph or more on a two-lane road, or 85 mph or more on any road, is a Super Speeder and pays a $200 state fee on top of the local fine.

Pass only where it is legal and safe, and be back in your lane before oncoming traffic comes within 200 feet. Passing on a two-lane road is not allowed within 100 feet of a railroad crossing, bridge, viaduct, or tunnel, on hills or curves where you cannot see, or on the shoulder. When someone passes you, do not speed up.

Georgia law keeps parked cars away from places where they would block safety. Do not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic signal, or 50 feet of a railroad crossing. Never park on a sidewalk, in an intersection, or on a bridge.

Overview

This chapter collects the safe driving habits and equipment rules that appear on the Road Rules test: headlights, following distance, bad weather, emergencies, expressways, seat belts, the Hands-Free law, and sharing the road with bicycles, motorcycles, and trucks.

Use headlights from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and whenever it is raining, and dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. Check your following distance by counting one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two after the car ahead passes a mark. Leave more room at night and in bad weather, and three or four seconds behind a motorcycle.

Wet roads are most slippery in the first half-hour of rain, and partial hydroplaning can begin at about 35 mph. In a skid, ease off the gas and steer in the direction of the skid. In a blowout, hold the wheel firmly, ease off the gas, and let the car slow. In fog, use low beams. On an expressway, never back up, and stay in the acceleration lane until the solid white line ends.

Everyone in the front seat and every rider under 18 must wear a seat belt, and children under 8 need a proper child restraint. Under the Hands-Free law, you may not hold or support a phone while driving. Give a bicycle at least 3 feet when passing, and remember that if you cannot see a truck driver's face in the mirror, the driver cannot see you.

Overview

Georgia's teen driver law, known as TADRA, created a graduated licensing program in three steps: the Class CP instructional permit, the Class D provisional license, and the full Class C license. This chapter covers what each step requires and the limits on teen drivers.

You can get a Class CP permit at 15 by passing a vision test and the knowledge exam. If you are under 18, you must show proof of school enrollment, and a parent, guardian, or responsible adult must sign. That person can ask to have your permit revoked any time before you turn 18. With a permit, you may drive only with a licensed Class C driver at least 21 years old in the seat beside you.

At 16 you can apply for a Class D license after holding the permit for one year and one day. Joshua's Law requires driver education (30 hours of class plus 6 hours with a certified instructor or the Parent/Teen Driver Guide) and 40 hours of supervised driving, including 6 at night. You also need the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP) and a road test.

A Class D driver may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. Passengers are limited: immediate family only for the first six months, one non-family passenger under 21 for the next six months, and up to three after that. A driver under 21 convicted of offenses such as reckless or aggressive driving loses the license for six months. At 18 you can hold a full Class C license.

Overview

This chapter covers Georgia's alcohol limits, the implied consent law, and the point system. These rules decide when a driver loses the license, so the numbers are worth learning exactly.

A driver 21 or older is under the influence at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, and a driver under 21 at 0.02 or more. A person driving a commercial motor vehicle faces disqualification at 0.04. Any drug, including a prescription medicine, that makes you unsafe to drive also counts. By driving in Georgia you agree to state chemical tests, and refusing one suspends your license for at least one year.

Points are added for moving violations. Speeding 15 to 18 mph over is 2 points, 19 to 23 over is 3, 24 to 33 over is 4, and 34 or more over is 6. Reckless driving is 4 points, and passing a stopped school bus or aggressive driving is 6. Your license is suspended at 15 points in 24 months, or at 4 points in 12 months if you are under 18. A certified 6-hour driver improvement course can remove up to 7 points once every 5 years.

After any crash, stop in a safe place and help anyone who is hurt. Notify the police right away if anyone is injured or killed, or if property damage is more than $500.